Transmigrating Into the Beautiful CEO’s Doomed Substitute - Chapter 83

The room suddenly fell into extreme silence. Shen Zhibing felt a bit remorseful after saying that sentence, and secretly bit her lip. But the words were out and couldn’t be taken back, and she did indeed feel that now was not a good time to discuss this topic.

In this special and sensitive period, the best relationship between her and Qi Zheng was to neither advance nor retreat. She still needed time to see clearly and handle some matters. Qi Zheng’s insistence tonight, besides making her irritable, also caused a psychological avoidance, so that hurtful sentence slipped out.

Qi Zheng remained silent for a long time, her movement seeming to freeze just as she was about to open the file bag. Shen Zhibing moved a bit closer to her, but Qi Zheng still gave her no reaction.

“I said, let nature take its course.”

Shen Zhibing believed that it was not yet time to bring their feelings into the open.

The person shrouded in gloom finally looked up, the bitter curve on her lips still there. Perhaps she hadn’t expected CEO Shen to say such a heartless thing, and for a moment, Qi Zheng couldn’t bear it.

She admitted that her heart had sharply ached just now, and her eyes instantly felt hot and stinging, worse than if she’d put essential balm in them. But in the end, she didn’t let the tears fall in front of Shen Zhibing. If she couldn’t win love, then dignity was the last line she could hold onto.

“Our understanding of ‘let nature take its course’ is a little different.” Qi Zheng’s emotions were still low, but not subservient. She was simply sad and disappointed. “I thought you at least liked me a little. It turns out I misunderstood what CEO Shen meant.”

Done speaking, she picked up the file bag, preparing to leave.

Shen Zhibing called out to her. Qi Zheng didn’t turn around, only stopped where she was.

“Are you blaming me?”

Qi Zheng’s hand, holding the file bag, hung by her side. Her thin pajamas revealed her slender, straight back. That was an area Shen Zhibing loved to linger and fool around with. She was always teasing and playing there until Qi Zheng’s breathing was completely disturbed.

But at this moment, all Shen Zhibing saw was the sorrow emanating from that slenderness.

Qi Zheng still didn’t turn back. She thought for a moment, then said in a low, heavy voice: “It was my wishful thinking.”

After saying that, she quickly walked out, giving Shen Zhibing no chance to call her back. The room returned to its previous silence. Shen Zhibing suddenly felt cold, and the growing stillness around her made her heart very uncomfortable.

It felt heavy, as if something was blocked, or as if she had been harshly struck a few times, leaving a numb, dull ache. Qi Zheng’s last sentence, which didn’t contain a single word of blame, fiercely squeezed Shen Zhibing’s heart.

Qi Zheng returned to her room and collapsed into the chair in front of her desk. She stared blankly at the English materials covering the desk and the file bag pressed on top of them.

Qi Zheng looked at them, dazed and unsure what she was thinking. After spacing out for a while, she came back to herself, the bitterness at the corner of her mouth much more pronounced than when she was in front of Shen Zhibing.

She put the file bag back into the drawer and organized her IELTS materials. She then took another shower, mechanically completing everything, and closed her eyes to force herself to sleep.

It wasn’t the first time she had experienced heartbreak. Sadness was unavoidable, but life still had to go on. Qi Zheng didn’t sleep well that night, but at least she didn’t stay up all night and affect her work the next day.

She had just arrived at the office and hadn’t even put down her coffee when she heard Xin Jia say, “Xiao Qi is starting to study so quickly?”

She looked at Qi Zheng’s slightly swollen eyes. Everyone in the secretarial office knew that Qi Zheng was applying for an MBA.

Qi Zheng managed a smile, head slightly lowered, pretending to organize things on her desk while turning on her computer.

“I just didn’t sleep well last night, haven’t officially started yet.”

She had been waiting for a chance to talk properly with Shen Zhibing these past two days, so she hadn’t formally begun studying.

She had a report to finish in the morning, which needed CEO Shen’s signature before being sent to the business department before the afternoon work session began. Qi Zheng focused on her work, temporarily forgetting the hurtful words that had disturbed her sleep last night.

Shen Zhibing didn’t come in the morning, only returning from the branch company close to noon. Qi Zheng picked up the completed report and walked over: “CEO Shen, this is the calculation report completed based on the requirements proposed by the Procurement Department last time. Please take a look.”

Shen Zhibing had just settled down when she saw Qi Zheng approach. She hadn’t slept well last night either. In a daze, Qi Zheng’s face and her back, enveloped in sorrow, kept appearing.

“Alright, leave it here for now, I’ll look at it later.”

Qi Zheng put the report on the desk and added a reminder: “This report needs to be sent to Director Yu before the afternoon session.”

Shen Zhibing felt that Qi Zheng was a little strange today, but couldn’t pinpoint how. She glanced at Qi Zheng, who seemed no different from usual.

“Got it, you can go out now.”

Since she was out of the office in the morning, many documents were waiting for Shen Zhibing’s approval. Yun Fei ordered lunch for her.

“What is the application progress for Qi Zheng’s studies?”

“She told me today that she wants to slow down a bit.”

Shen Zhibing frowned. Yun Fei explained: “Xiao Qi said she wants to reconsider her target schools.”

This surprised Shen Zhibing. She had thought Qi Zheng was simply unwilling to go.

“She’s not satisfied?”

Although Yun Fei was puzzled, she answered truthfully: “She might have her own ideas. When she has an answer in a few days, it will naturally be revealed. It’s not dissatisfaction, perhaps Xiao Qi wants to apply to other schools.”

Shen Corporation’s sponsorship program generally only had restrictions on the university ranking, course duration, and total cost. Qualified applicants could freely choose among eligible universities and majors based on their ability and needs.

Considering Qi Zheng’s limited work experience and the tight preparation time, Shen Zhibing had selected a relatively easy-to-apply-to university among the eligible ones. It had a good reputation domestically but wasn’t truly top-tier.

Shen Zhibing hadn’t required Qi Zheng to attend a top-notch school. It was good enough for her to go out, gain some experience, and see the world for over a year.

Once the fuss passed, she would have her return.

In the afternoon, Qi Zheng retrieved the report from Shen Zhibing and immediately sent it to Yu Xinyan. With no urgent work on hand for the moment, she greeted Yun Fei: “Secretary Yun, I’d like to go to the Human Resources Department.”

“To ask about the study program?”

“Yes, I want to understand some application details clearly.”

This approval department was affiliated with the HR department, its business relatively independent, but administratively it hadn’t been separated.

Qi Zheng found the specific person in charge. She wanted to fully understand the agreement before making a decision.

In addition to the shock and sadness of last night, she had also calmly thought things through. Going to a prestigious foreign university for an MBA was indeed a good opportunity, helpful for her future career development and network accumulation.

However, before taking Shen Corporation’s money, she had to clarify the extent to which she would be restricted. She couldn’t sell herself out muddle-headedly like the original owner did.

The agreements were surprisingly lenient, requiring the sponsored employee to return to work at Shen Corporation for at least three years after graduation. If they resigned before the three years were up or didn’t return at all, they would have to refund all expenses, pay an additional three years’ worth of fixed-term interest, and a penalty.

Qi Zheng had a bit of PTSD from the previous contract. Her first reaction was to look at the amount of the penalty. She thought she had read it wrong: one yuan?

She looked at the person in charge and asked uncertainly, “The penalty is only one yuan?”

Qi Zheng wasn’t the first person to be surprised. The person in charge was very calm about it: “The penalty is only a token punishment. The company established this program to cultivate promising young employees, help them accelerate their growth, and contribute more to the company. If an employee has already decided to breach the contract, then there’s no point for Shen Corporation to forcibly keep them. All expenses and related interest have been repaid, so there’s no need to make things difficult for anyone.”

It was that good? Then why was the contract signed with the original owner so expensive!

Qi Zheng wouldn’t bring that up, but then heard the person in charge continue: “However, paying the penalty will be recorded in their file, and industry peers will certainly be aware of it.”

As expected, it wouldn’t be that easy to leave. When a company is so generous in cultivating employees, what they care about is definitely not a small amount of money.

Qi Zheng lowered her head and carefully read the agreement again. There were no overly harsh clauses, but she decided to seek professional advice to be cautious.

When Jiang Youyou’s elder brother, Attorney Jiang, saw Qi Zheng again, he thought it was about the previous matter, but she was asking about the agreement.

“Honestly, I think this agreement is completely legal and compliant, and is even favorable to the employee.”

Shen Corporation was known in the industry for its generosity in developing young employees, which was why so many graduates were desperate to join the company. Everyone considered themselves a thoroughbred horse, so why wouldn’t they want to find a discerning patron?

“If I sign this agreement and pay back all expenses and interest before the course ends, is there any way to eliminate the record of breach of contract?”

Attorney Jiang pondered for a moment and gave her a suggestion: “If you truly want to seize this opportunity, you can choose to work abroad for a while after graduation. When you return to China, your new work experience will be more important.”

After weighing her options, Qi Zheng decided to accept the company’s arrangement and go study.

But it wasn’t the university Shen Zhibing had chosen for her. She spent three days carefully researching and comparing, and based on her own circumstances, she newly selected her preferred school.

Shen Zhibing looked at the name of the business school Qi Zheng newly selected, first surprised, then a little delighted, wondering if Qi Zheng wanted to attend the same university as her.

But she maintained a calm expression: “Why do you want to apply to B University’s Business School? Wasn’t G University good before?”

Qi Zheng took out the materials she had collected and stated her reasons: “B University’s Business School has higher quality, and the course focus aligns better with my career development needs. Whether in terms of academic ranking or personal goal direction, I believe B University’s Business School is more suitable for me.”

Shen Zhibing’s lips curved slightly: “It’s good that you took the initiative to research and compare these. But you should also know that B University’s requirements are higher, and your chances of being rejected will be greater.”

“I know, but I still want to give it a try.”

Qi Zheng seemed to have made up her mind. After listening to her explanation, Shen Zhibing knew she wasn’t acting on a whim or purely pursuing the vanity of a higher ranking. In fact, she also hoped Qi Zheng could go to B University; after all, it was her alma mater, and she knew its quality best.

“Since you’ve made up your mind, then study hard for the exams. For the April application, you only have two chances to improve your scores.”

As the Spring Festival approached, even in a super first-tier city like Haicheng, exam slots were still tight. After deciding to change her application to B University, Qi Zheng immediately signed up for both the TOEFL and GMAT exams.

Jiang Youyou’s chopsticks almost dropped onto the table. She had just survived a local project that nearly killed her.

“Qi Zheng, why are you pushing yourself so hard? You’re not even taking a break for the Spring Festival, and you’re preparing for two exams at once. If you had worked this hard back in school, you would have secured a recommendation for graduate studies long ago.”

The original owner was not that fixated on academic qualifications, especially after receiving Lin Muyun’s assurance, she didn’t want to work too hard and was content to graduate smoothly and wait for Lin Muyun’s arrangements. The current Qi Zheng, who was so desperately trying to seize every opportunity, made Jiang Youyou feel both unfamiliar and passionate.

“Career and wealth are the things that one can truly own. Why shouldn’t I strive for them?” Qi Zheng smiled and swapped out her chopsticks for a new pair; the ones she had been using were dirty from being poked onto the table.

Jiang Youyou was stunned for a moment and quietly asked, “Are you and CEO Shen having problems?”

This time it was Qi Zheng who was momentarily stunned. Before she could answer, Jiang Youyou said again: “I told you long ago that she’s a flower on the Himalayas, how can mere mortals like us handle her? It’s normal for her to reject you; you don’t have to run off to a foreign country.”

Seeing Jiang Youyou’s troubled expression, which seemed even sadder than her own, Qi Zheng couldn’t help but laugh.

“Wanting to create distance is true, but striving for a better future is also true.” She paused for a moment, as if recalling something from the past, and sighed with emotion, “Giving up on yourself at any time is foolish.”